Entrapment or Pointed Truth?

Entrapment or Pointed Truth?
Words of Faith 11-12-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

1 Samuel 20
[24] So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat. [25] He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty. [26] Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean--surely he is unclean." [27] But the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?" [28] Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. [29] He said, 'Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table." [30] Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? [31] As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!" [32] "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Jonathan asked his father. [33] But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David. [34] Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father's shameful treatment of David.

I have to admit that I hate traps. The idea of contriving a situation designed to trap a person in an embarrassing, unethical or illegal behavior has a really nasty taste to it. Legal arguments have gone on for years regarding sting operations designed to lure a suspect into a criminal behavior which can be prosecuted technically. The cry of "entrapment" is not uncommon in such situations. The argument can be made that a contrived crime is a crime that would not have occurred at all except for the set up.
David and Jonathan had set up a sort of sting. With some subterfuge they created a setting in which Saul was likely to lose his temper and Jonathan could see the evidence for himself. Jonathan hoped that his father would be cleared of these allegations and respond in a responsible way to the absence of David, but it was not to be.
The sting proceeded according to script as planned. By the second day of the feast Saul inquired about the obvious absence of David at the table of the king. Jonathan explained things and even took the full blame of having given permission for David to attend the feast in Bethlehem. The flare of anger was immediate and personal and vulgar.
Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"
This was the sign that Jonathan and David had agreed to before the Lord. The truth was now clear but Jonathan argued with his father-- "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" The reply from Saul was in the form of a spear hurled at Jonathan with the intention to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
This was the pointed truth. The heart of Saul was revealed and in the throwing of the spear. Unbeknownst to him, Saul actually sealed the covenant made between Jonathan and David. By Saul's own selfish violence he had made the decision that would fracture the trust and relationship with his son.
Was this entrapment? Was it a crime that never would have occurred without the circumstances contrived by Jonathan and David? Is this a fair indictment of Saul? When the spear came flying it appeared that this was more than fair. While some might argue that this was a crime that never would have occurred if not provoked, it can also be argued that such a vile response could not have spilled out of a heart that as not already filled with such vile thoughts.
Rather than ponder the ethics of the sting operation, it is perhaps better to focus on the things that we allow to fill our hearts. Saul had allowed jealousy to grow into a burning hatred that even turned him against his own son. The time for red flags and "wake-up calls" were long past. Saul's heart held nothing but the very worst of selfish sinful emotions and motivations.
What am I planting in my heart? Am I surrendering to the fruit of the spirit or the acts and emotions of the sinful nature? Am I pursuing the Lord relentlessly or pursuing my own way rebelliously? These are the choices.

Father God, I want to pursue You with my whole heart. I desire to reflect Your Spirit and Your way. I want to know You wholly and to love You fully. Cleanse me of the acts of the sinful nature. Fill me with Your Spirit and cause the fruit of Your Spirit to abound in my heart and life today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< ><> <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an e-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an e-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. The daily devotion and archive are posted at https://www.faithfellowshipweb.com/blog
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.